


Find Me on the Moors, My Love

by Aurum_Auri



Series: The Thirsty Games [6]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Jealousy, M/M, Mating Run, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Omegaverse, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sex, Rough Sex, The Hunt, blanket consent, sex as a sport
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 01:20:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29501904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aurum_Auri/pseuds/Aurum_Auri
Summary: Yuuri's recovery takes him into a new season with Victor at his side, but lingering questions remain in the aftermath. With their relationship barely even defined, Yuuri struggles between what he wants and what he knows is true: that mating with Victor could mean the end of both of their careers.They travel to the Isle of Skye in Scotland, where Yuuri finally finds the answers that he's been looking for all along.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov
Series: The Thirsty Games [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1048704
Comments: 30
Kudos: 273





	Find Me on the Moors, My Love

Yuuri could taste the cool, floral bouquet of Victor’s scent, sharp with the flavor of winter mint lingering on the breeze. It came from upwind, betraying Victor’s hiding spot. His steady pace slowed to a stop. Yuuri caught his breath in sheer silence. Victor was close, but not yet right on Yuuri’s position. He wouldn’t be far, though. Victor had to be dangerously close, from the whiff of his scent. 

Yuuri took a step forward. The soft leaves and grass whispered as he eased himself in a different angle. The slope of the terrain was angled downward, likely giving Victor the advantage of height to observe. The wind must have been a miscalculation on his part. Yuuri grinned, feeling his way back toward a tree and winding around it, using it as cover. 

He closed his eyes, and he took a long, deep breath to steady his nerves. A twig snapped. Yuuri took off. 

A head of brilliant silver appeared in the corner of his eye, and Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh, wild and free as Victor tried and failed to keep up with him. His chest was so light, he might have been flying. 

The world had a new light to it these days, brighter than anything Yuuri could remember in the past. Maybe it was a new lease on life. Maybe it was Victor. 

It had taken time before he was cleared for a full range of physical activity. Breaking his ankle had been the icing on the cake of a terrible season. It could have always been worse, though. His injury had happened near the end of the season, leaving Yuuri with a surfeit of time to recover and rehabilitate before the next round of hunts began. 

Now that his ankle was back to normal, nothing could stop him and Victor from indulging in mock hunts. They could chase each other until they were breathless from exertion and dripping in sweat, just like this. 

As they sprinted down the hill to the target, Victor made a last ditch leap toward Yuuri. His fingertips brushed the back of Yuuri’s clothes, just narrowly missing his catch. He sprawled to the ground with a grunt. Yuuri tagged a tree tied with a ribbon before circling back, kneeling beside Victor.

“Someone stood upwind,” Yuuri said in a singsong voice. “I smelled you before I saw you.” Victor looked up, disgruntled, blades of grass clinging to his hair and clothes. Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Forgot about the wind,” Victor groaned. He jerked forward, grabbing Yuuri by the thighs and tugging him down to the ground. Yuuri shrieked with laughter as Victor started to tickle him. “What if I just claim my prize anyway?”

“Victor!” Yuuri laughed. “That’s cheating!”

“You cheated yesterday, so fair is fair,” Victor replied, smug and smiling. Their faces were close, almost too close, and Yuuri could feel the warmth of his cheeks. Victor gazed at him through lowered lashes. Just an inch closer, perhaps, and their lips could brush… 

Yuuri half closed his eyes, tilting up to reach Victor. The touch was soft, just a skim of a kiss before it swelled into more. The air was the perfect temperature around them, just a little cool when the wind kicked up, and it felt wonderful on Yuuri’s feverish skin. 

Every part of him ached for more than a bit of making out in the woods. He could feel the sweet drip of slick, so hot and wet just from thinking about how Victor would feel inside him. Alas, they were in a public park, and though their training was allowed, sex on the grounds was generally discouraged. 

Yuuri felt like a horny teenager as he kissed the back of Victor’s hand and sat back up, scenting it all the while. “You know, we could always take this back to your apartment,” he purred. “I won, so doesn’t that mean I get to claim my prize?”

Victor kissed him until he was breathless. “I think it does. What kind of prize are you thinking of?” 

“I was hoping you might have a few ideas,” Yuuri replied. He licked his lips, tasting the sweetness of Victor’s kiss lingering there. His finger traced up Victor’s hip. Victor’s eyes darkened with liquid desire. Heat flooded Yuuri’s belly at the look, a low shiver of anticipation creeping up his spine. 

Victor moaned, scooping Yuuri into his arms and standing up with a greedy growl rumbling low in his chest. “I’ve got more than a few,” he replied, blatant want written over his face. Yuuri cradled Victor’s face, feeling Victor’s harsh breath fanning over his lips and cheeks. 

They could barely wait on days like these, when passion burned so high in their chests that it threatened to spill out. Victor hiked the short distance back to the car with Yuuri in his arms. Any alpha worth his knot was going to carry his omega off the field, and Victor was nothing if not dedicated to the legacy of the sport.

The drive home was short enough, but it left Yuuri burning in the seat, smoothing his palms over his joggers as he watched the traffic pass by. Last week they’d almost fucked in the backseat before they ever left the parking lot. Self control was hard to come by, and getting harder by the day. 

They burst into Victor’s apartment in a clash of teeth and tongues, Yuuri pushing Victor into the wall only to have his hips pulled in, Victor twirling him around to switch their positions. Yuuri bit Victor’s lip hard enough to draw a gasp. Victor tugged his hips again. Oh yes, rushed and handsy, just how Yuuri liked it. 

Yuuri wrapped his thighs around Victor’s hips, grinding down on the hard bulge Victor had sported for most of the drive home. His back pressed into the wall, head falling back in bliss. Victor’s lips sucked hard at Yuuri’s neck, his teeth brushing first against Yuuri’s hammering pulse, then lingering for a long moment over Yuuri’s mating gland.

Yuuri keened softly, squeezing tighter. His mind was awash in dizzying conflict. Yes, yes, yes, no, no. In a hunt, Yuuri would have begged for it, but he would have been medicated to prevent bonding from occurring anyway. Outside the hunts, Yuuri could feel himself hesitating. 

Yes, the last few months had been perfect. Living with Victor had been a dream come true, suffusing his life with a strange domestic bliss that Yuuri didn’t know he could have ever lived. His bachelor lifestyle suddenly felt so alien compared to his life today. 

Gone was the lone mug and one threadbare towel hanging on the towel rack by the shower. Now his life was twin toothbrushes sitting side by side in the bathroom, one a warm purple, the other a vivid blue, a cabinet of novelty mugs to fill with freshly brewed tea, and a lover to keep him warm during any chilly Russian nights. 

If it was possible, Yuuri would want to live every single day like this. To have Victor mated to him was a fantasy that had been so distant and unattainable ten years ago, and today felt like it could be a natural progression of life. Living together, mating, marrying…

Yuuri felt his cheeks grow hotter and he whined low in his throat as Victor moved away from the mating gland with one last lick. Victor carried him to the bed, giving Yuuri just enough of a toss to land him in the middle of the mattress. Victor crawled after him, leaving his muddy joggers on the floor and giving Yuuri’s a toss toward the hamper. 

They stripped naked, moving together as one. Victor fit against Yuuri like a missing puzzle piece, his cock sliding inside like he was coming home. Every snap of Victor’s hips gave Yuuri a sense of completeness. The size left Yuuri so wonderfully, achingly full that he could do little else but cling to Victor, moaning for more. 

When they were finally spent, they curled together in bliss. Victor’s skin smelled of wind and sweat and earth, heavy with the rich musky scent of alpha. Yuuri himself was struggling to motivate towards the shower. It should have been disgusting. Yuuri felt gross, like no one in the world would want to be within smelling distance of him after all that exercise, and yet Victor was rubbing up against him like a cat, greedily sharing in the scent of a mock hunt. 

Yuuri was sympathetic. Victor smelled wonderful to him in a way no one ever had before. Fresh from the shower, fresh from the rain, fresh from a workout- it didn’t matter. Yuuri wanted to bathe in Victor’s scent. He wanted it on his skin and flooding him inside and out.

He was greedy, and he knew it.

Yuuri and Victor’s phones buzzed in unison. Victor hummed, grabbing both off the bedside table and passing Yuuri’s over. “I wonder if that’s the next hunt location,” Victor said, voice husky and low. It sent shivers racing up Yuuri’s spine again, and he tried to focus on entering his passcode before his mind slipped back into thinking about sex. 

“They’re a bit late notifying us,” Yuuri mumbled. “I thought we were supposed to get it yesterday.”

“Probably just the usual bureaucratic bullshit,” Victor said. Yuuri tapped around on his phone, opening up the email. He skimmed through the usual fluffery and nonsense to find the location announcements for the season. Near the bottom, there was the entire schedule. 

“Scotland?” Victor said. “I thought Singapore was vying for the first hunt of the season.”

“Singapore fell through because of a maintenance issue with their water fixtures. Phichit was complaining to me the other day,” Yuuri said.

Victor nodded. “Oh, that’s right, he has a cousin who recently moved there, doesn’t he? I didn’t know Scotland actually had facilities established.”

“I didn’t either,” Yuuri said. He thumbed through the attached pdfs, looking for more information. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor. “Celestino is behind it?”

Victor cocked his head. “Oh, that name sounds familiar. He was…”

“Italy,” Yuuri reminded him. He flushed bright red. “The hunt where you first… caught me. He owned the hunting lodge out there.”

Victor’s eyes brightened. “Oh, yes, I remember now. Not that I could ever forget the hunt, but Celestino was… much less pressing to me at that time than you were. He was very inviting, though, and I remember the lodge was truly beautiful. What the hell is he doing in Scotland?”

“Opening another hunting lodge, I’d guess,” Yuuri said with a wry smile. Victor laughed. “If I had to guess, there’s good money in maintaining hunting facilities, and he seemed well enough off. It would be nice to own enough land to hold hunts.”

“That would be a dream,” Victor hummed. He snuggled Yuuri closer, rubbing his nose against Yuuri’s neck.

Yuuri smiled against Victor’s hair. “I think about it, sometimes, what it would be like to be in charge of your own course. Japan used to have a massive hunting arena, big enough for international events, but it hasn’t been well maintained in the last few decades. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to fix it up, modernize some of the facilities…”

“It has to be fun. The park here is decent, it has some interesting slopes and features, but it just doesn’t have the charm of a real hunting course. I’d love to see what kinds of course features you’d design.”

“Oh, it would be hellish,” Yuuri said with a grin. “Hellish, but beautiful. The suites don’t have to be luxurious, but they do need to be comfortable. Maybe something traditional… or maybe a modern twist on tradition… Hmm… so much to consider.”

“I love watching you think,” Victor confessed. He slowly stroked Yuuri’s hair with his fingers. “The way your eyes sparkle, like your whole being is just coming alive. Can you tell me more about the old hunting arena in Japan? Have you ever been?”

“Once,” Yuuri said. “It was only a few hours away by train, and a friend of mine suggested we visit. We were both still pretty young at that time, of course, so the hunt was more of just capture the flag back then, but we knew we were looking at something amazing when we saw it… Even old and run down, it felt like something truly beautiful…”

“Wow,” Victor murmured. His eyes closed for a long moment, then slowly opened, watching Yuuri expectantly. 

Yuuri laughed. “I don’t have the photos with me, if that’s what you’re hoping for. I remember it so clearly, though. The site has these beautiful old torii because the traditional Japanese hunts were a sacred practice. People who found successful and fortuitous matches would donate the same way they would at a shrine.”

The quiet hung in the air between them. Yuuri slowly sighed, and a trace of melancholy leaked into his words. “Most people don’t count on the hunts to find matches anymore, though, so people visited less and less. The ones that did participate in hunts usually wanted smaller, more intimate groups. Then, by the time people saw it as a sport instead of as a method of courting, there was no one left to maintain the grounds.”

“That’s so sad,” Victor said. “And no one ever thought to fix it up? Surely it didn’t just sit empty for years.”

“Well, it’s changed hands a few times. But no one has ever really done anything with it. Plans come up and they fade away when the person loses interest,” Yuuri said. "Imagine how beautiful it could be, if the torii gates were gleaming like new. What it would be like to walk into the most beautiful forest, able to just make out a single viewing stand in the middle…”

Victor hummed wordlessly, stroking Yuuri’s hair. He was smiling softly, studying Yuuri’s face with the warmest expression. Slowly, reluctantly, Yuuri started to stand, tugging Victor along with him. “Shower with me?”

“Mmmm, of course,” Victor said, even though their showers together were significantly longer than when they were apart.

Already naked, they stood close to one another as the water heated up. Once in the spray, they washed one another clean of all the sweat and cum and mud. Yuuri could feel a low purr rumbling in his chest. Victor rumbled back in response. 

It was almost too much. Yuuri closed his eyes, resting his head against Victor’s broad chest, his hand curling into a fist. “No one has said anything to us. Is everything really okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Victor said. “You and I didn’t do anything wrong last season. My disqualification was just a minor infraction about getting in the cart with you, and it doesn’t affect any placements for this year. Your disqualification was for medical reasons, which isn’t even a real penalty, so it can’t affect your placements either.”

“But you were able to pull yourself out of an artificial rut when you saw me. You shouldn’t have been able to do that! You should have been driven mad with lust, you should have taken me the second you had me in your arms.”

“You were hurting,” Victor said, stroking Yuuri’s hair. 

Yuuri huffed. “It shouldn’t have mattered. The way you were acting, it was almost like…”

“Like we were already mates,” Victor said quietly. Yuuri didn’t say anything for a long time. He just listened to the sound of the shower running, felt the heat of the water and Victor on his skin. “Even though we haven’t fully mated, even though we’ve never actually shared a mating bite. Sometimes it feels like we’re already there. Yeah, I’ve been wondering about that too.”

“How long?”

“Since the time you went into a full heat after the hunt. It shouldn’t have been possible. I assumed it was just an error with the dosages, but a part of me wondered…”

Yuuri nodded silently. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking it for a while, too. Not a lot, I think a larger part of me didn’t want to admit it. But a little part of me couldn’t get it out of my head. Is this what it’s like? Is it even possible?”

“I don’t know,” Victor said. He held Yuuri close. “I’ve never heard of it before, but I don’t think it’s impossible either, at least on some level. It’s rare for someone to do what we do… hunt each other down so many times, but never bond. Even in the hunt, it’s usually mixed up so much that our bodies can’t ever get attached. Maybe it’s my fault-”

“No! It’s not! If anything, it’s mine. I could have stopped it at any time, and I didn’t. I… I liked being chased by you,” Yuuri said. His heart wouldn’t stop hammering in his chest. “I’ve always liked it. I… I used to dream about it when I was younger. I wanted to know if it was possible to outrun you. I wanted to know what it felt like to have your body against mine.”

“Then we’re both guilty, because the moment I saw you slip from my fingers, I couldn’t think of anything else,” Victor said. “I wanted you so badly, Yuuri. And every time we met again, I felt like I was falling a little more. I could have backed out just the way you could have. But we didn’t. We felt the pull, and we followed. And here we are. And I don’t regret it.”

“I don’t either,” Yuuri murmured. “I don’t think I could regret any of this, even knowing what I do now. I’m just concerned about what happens going forward. Mated pairs don’t compete for a reason. It’s dangerous enough to have all these unmated alphas and omegas in a giant pit together. Add in a bonded pair and it creates chaos. If our bodies act like a bonded pair-”

“It won’t be a problem,” Victor said, sounding sure of himself. “In the end, we aren’t our instincts. Do you really think I’d be the kind of alpha that tries to claim a crying omega on the field? Even if it wasn’t you that was upset, I still wouldn’t do that.”

“No, I know you’re not like that. I just worry. There’s no way to predict what happens, and that’s what scares me. I worry about a lot of things, though, and this is just another of those things, I guess.”

“If there’s anything I can do, you know I’m more than happy to help.”

Yuuri let out a deep breath. “I know. And I appreciate it, even though logically I know that things will be the same as they were before. As much as I miss Vicchan, I’m in a better place now in coming to terms with it. It won’t hit me like that the next time I’m in a hunt. I can just focus on doing what I always do.”

Victor pressed a kiss to Yuuri’s temple, and Yuuri leaned into it, turning it into a slow, lingering embrace. “You’re stronger than you know, Yuuri Katsuki. Let’s finish up and change the sheets, okay?”

Yuuri hummed. Just by being there, Victor gave Yuuri strength. Yuuri had felt nothing but welcomed, loved, and respected since coming to train with Victor. Neither of them had discussed what would happen when the season began, but a part of Yuuri knew that this couldn’t last forever. 

* * *

The day of their departure came suddenly and swiftly. 

He and Victor had shared a flight (business class, because it was the only way to talk Victor down from first class) from St. Petersburg to Glasgow. Thirteen hours and two stops later, with Yuuri still drowsy from the flight, they shared a bus to a city known as Portree. 

Portree sat perched on the fancifully named Isle of Skye, a beautiful stretch of land shaped like an outstretched feathered wing, and which was connected to the mainland of Scotland by a single bridge. Their ride was waiting by the bus top to whisk them away even further into the island, this time to a stunning castle. 

Yuuri wasn’t remotely surprised by the destination- the freshly restored castle certainly looked right up Celestino’s alley. It seemed to be reconstructed in a traditional style, but there were bits and pieces that looked distinctly modern, likely concessions to structural integrity. 

They paused at the massive front door as Celestino greeted them, beaming. “Ciao, Ciao! It’s great to see you two again! Did your flights arrive at the same time?” 

Victor and Yuuri exchanged a look, bubbling into laughter that left Celestino politely baffled. “You could say that,” Yuuri said, smiling at him. “Good to see you again. How have you been?”

“Excellent, just wonderful. If you can’t tell, I’m very excited to show off my newest property. I’ve been developing it for a few years now with the help of some local friends of mine, and I’m delighted to reveal it at long last. Come on in, the staff will show you around. The North Wing is for the Omegas, while the South Wing is designated for our Alpha contestants. They’re identical down to the heated stone tiles in the bathrooms, so don’t worry, you’re not missing anything by only seeing one wing.”

Yuuri and Victor were ushered through the entrance hall, struck instantly by the sweeping grandeur of the central staircase. It was truly a castle, inside and out, and the split stairway led them into branching wings of the castle the same way that Celestino’s hunting lodge in Italy had. 

Yuuri cast one last, lingering look at Victor as they parted ways. Victor offered him a sad smile, and then he was out of sight. Yuuri sucked down a lungful of air and he hurried into the wing. A few other omegas had arrived already, and they were chatting in a central lounge-like area. Another staircase wrapped around the lounge, leading up to individual bedrooms. 

He dropped off his things and sat on the couch, trying to pretend he didn’t feel Victor’s absence like a knife in his gut. 

They had spent time apart before, but it was only in limited bursts. Usually it was only in the infrequent instances of schedule clashes, such as the physical therapy sessions that Yuuri needed less and less with each passing month. This time felt different. Yuuri didn’t know if he’d get the chance to see Victor again before the gala. He didn’t know if he could last the two days until then. 

Phichit soon arrived, carrying his warm, cinnamon and clove scent. Yuuri glanced up, at last feeling a smile break over his face. “Yuuri! It’s so good to see you again!” Phichit crushed Yuuri in a massive hug, dropping his stuff off beside the couch without a care. 

“Phichit! How are you?” Yuuri said warmly. He helped Phichit gather up one of his suitcases, walking with him to the stairs. 

For a time, as they caught up since their last phone call, the feeling of solitude felt less intense. It didn’t fully go away, but it was easier to deal with. Still, Yuuri found himself missing Victor in a way that he had never expected. 

The night was a whirlwind of activity. There was always work to be done in preparation for the event, and Celestino was eager to show off the wonders of the castle property he had renovated. Everything inside was modeled to look as authentic as possible. But, as Yuuri had expected, there were numerous concessions to modernity. 

Many of the walls had been insulated and resurfaced to look original, fighting back some of the drafty chill that a real castle of this size would have. Structural improvements had also been made, including wheelchair accessibility features that the original castle design hadn’t accounted for. 

Sumptuous rugs hid the heated panels beneath, leaving the floors warm beneath socked feet. The beds were postered with thick hangings, less to beat back any cool drafts in the castle and more to give the room a more intimate feeling to it. There was something very nest-like in the construction that had even Yuuri purring a little in anticipation of the first night. 

There was a meal hall on the ground floor in each wing, with the kitchen in the middle of the two. Guang Hong tried to ask about the course itself during the tour, and Celestino only winked at him. “All in due time. But if you’re impatient, let me show you the towers, they have a wonderful view of the course.”

“It’s not a secret this time?” Phichit said.

Celestino laughed. “Oh no, there’s not much to keep secret. It’s pretty straightforward this time around. You’ll see.” He waved them up the tower, showing them a stunning library area and a fitness area that was outfitted to keep them in tip top shape before their hunt. They kept climbing up, until at last they had reached a stunning view from above.

The tip of each tower had a roof above it, but the walls were made of large open panels that looked out below to the open, grassy grounds. Rolling hills spread out below them in one direction. The other way faced civilization, with a newly paved road leading toward the main thoroughfare. 

Yuuri sucked in an awed gasp as he looked out. The land was fairly open, with little in the way of cover, but the rolling hills, lakes, and cliffs more than made up for the sparse tree cover. Crumbling ruins dotted the hillside here and there. Some were almost indistinguishable from the rocks around them, others bore shadowed traces of what had once been houses or perhaps the vague structures of the castle’s outer reaches. 

The outcroppings of rock looked like they’d be amazing to use as natural barriers, either to distance himself from an alpha or to climb up and escape from their clutches. As the omegas gazed out below them, the setting sun painted everything in varied shades of gold and orange, the sky burning red and bright. It was one of the most beautiful sights Yuuri had ever seen, and he’d seen a great many places in his travels. 

“Wow,” Yuuri murmured.

“When my friend brought me up here, the view alone is what sold me on the place. I almost quit a few times, but looking out now, I’m so glad I didn’t. She was right, after all, though. A hunt like this is a once in a lifetime experience.”

“I’ll say,” Phichit sighed. He pointed to a ruined castle in the distance with a flag fluttering in one of the spires. “What’s over there?”

“That’s the end of the course. It doesn’t look like much from here, but that’s because most of the pleasure rooms are actually underground. I didn’t want to take away from the stunning landscapes with some big, blocky building.”

Yuuri gazed out over the open land, his heart beating faster. Already, he could see the cat and mouse game that he and Victor would play. It would be just like the games they played back in St. Petersburg, watching the slope of the terrain and keeping watch for treacherous rocks. It was a sizable course, not the breakneck death race from Sochi, and Yuuri was feeling more assured about his chances here. 

His head was in a good place. He was excited. He would win. 

* * *

The following day, they carried out many of the usual pre-race procedures. His body was thoroughly examined by the medical staff. His blood was checked for traces of doping, double checked to ensure the implanted birth control was still working properly, and then physically examined to make sure that he wouldn’t be a risk to himself or others.

If Yuuri was in a different place in his life, he would probably do something incredibly rash right about now. What he would do, it was hard to say. When backed into a corner, he always did impulsive, unpredictable things that even he couldn’t always make sense of later. All things considered, this moment right here felt about as close to being backed into a corner as Yuuri had ever felt. 

But instead of feeling panicked, he felt the strangest sense of relief. 

“Your ankle healed well, Mr. Katsuki,” the doctor said with a smile. “Sorry if I’m being too forward. I saw you go down in Sochi and I wanted to double check that it was healed up properly. But I see I’ve got nothing to worry about! You’ve got great mobility and it seems that there’s nothing to fret over. You must have had a great physical therapist.”

The  _ best,  _ Yuuri almost said, before he banished the thought. There was something oddly relaxing about the doctor seeing nothing wrong with him. The time he’d spent with Victor hadn’t made Yuuri radiate any signs of being mated. He was normal. He was just Yuuri still, and nothing had changed. 

The doctor finished his work quickly enough. He rubbed Yuuri’s scent glands with circular cotton pads, making sure that pheromone production was suitable for the race, and glanced at Yuuri’s throat to see the naked mating gland, empty of any bites. 

Yuuri remembered how it felt to have Victor’s lips on his neck, so deliciously close to the spot that would bind them together. It had gone unsaid so many times. Victor always moved away from it too soon, and Yuuri never stopped him. 

They weren’t bonded. Victor probably didn’t even want it. Or did he? Perhaps a part of Victor shared the same greedy desire as Yuuri. Victor had called it love. Yuuri didn’t have a name for the feeling that consumed him, drowned out his senses and made his heart flutter when he saw Victor’s smile. Maybe it  _ was  _ love. 

A member of the waitstaff handed Yuuri a letter at lunch, concealing a smile as she did so. “A very handsome gentleman from the alpha side asked me to bring this to you.”

“Thank you,” Yuuri said, turning it over in his hands. The letter was carefully stripped of any scents, doused in enough neutralizer to make the envelope almost wet with it. Yuuri tugged the paper out while Phichit leaned over his shoulder. Yuuri shooed him back with a helpless grin.

“What is it? I want to see,” Phichit whined. 

“Hold on, let me read it first at least,” Yuuri said, unfolding it. He started to read, Phichit managing to find a position on his shoulder to skim it as well. 

_ My dearest Yuuri, _

_ I hope you’re settling in well. I miss you so much, I almost can’t bear it. If I thought we could get away with it, I would try to sneak out and meet you in the night. Unfortunately, I think Celestino has cameras everywhere, and I’m almost certain we’d be caught before we even left our respective wings.  _

_ I thought a secret letter might be a romantic touch in a place like this, so I’ll simply have to settle for this. I’d send a token of my affections along too, but Chris said it might make the other omegas mad at me. Everything is so difficult! Can I at least have some of your scent? I promise I’ll keep it close~  _

_ Being apart from you feels like an ache in my chest that just won’t go away. I miss you, my darling, dearest Yuuri. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms again. (That sounded so romantic! I did not take this from a book, I swear) _

_ Also, I just wanted to remind you to PLEASE not wear that awful blue tie with your suit. I didn’t see if you packed it or not, and I’ve been stressing over it all day. Please, Yuuri, you have so many ties that flatter your beautiful complexion so much more, I’m BEGGING you to do me this one favor, if nothing else, save me from this.  _

_ Forever yours,  _ _   
_ _ Victor _

“Awww, that’s so sweet,” Phichit crooned. “A love letter the night before the big ball? He’s really going through it. Now I’m wondering if you brought the tie along, or if you picked something else. Did you bring the ‘fuck me’ dress? Because that would have really killed Victor dead, I’m just saying-”

“Nope. I didn’t bring the dress along because I don’t want it to lose its powers,” Yuuri said. He sat back, feeling just a little smug. “It’s a lethal weapon and I don’t need it.”

Phichit whistled low. “Wow, Yuuri, someone’s looking confident today.”

Yuuri flushed a little, but he didn’t drop his gaze. “I’m excited to rejoin the hunt. I was so mad at myself after the last race. That wasn’t how I wanted things to go, and I know a lot of people weren’t happy with how it turned out. The Yuuri they saw last season, yeah, it’s a part of me, but he’s taking a backseat this week. The Yuuri stepping onto the field is one they’ve never seen before, and he’s here to kick ass.”

“Whew, I like this new Yuuri! He’s spicy,” Phichit said approvingly. “I’m glad you’re doing okay. I really was pretty worried about you last season. Even before the whole uh… well, the Sochi race, something seemed a little uneven. Whatever training you and Victor did, I think it really paid off.”

“I hope so,” Yuuri said. He felt wistful, thinking of Victor sitting alone in the dining hall just beyond the kitchen. He turned the paper over, carefully rubbing his wrist against it until it was heavy with his scent. Phichit offered him a convenient pen, and Yuuri wrote a quick answer. 

The staff member who had helped Victor was still nearby, so Yuuri flagged her down and asked her to return the letter. She giggled again, and nodded, promising it would be no trouble at all. After a few moments, she returned, looking delighted. 

“Oh, he definitely liked that very much,” she said, giving Yuuri a mischievous look. “I hope you’re ready for the hunt, because I think that young man is going to be gunning for you. He looked pretty serious.”

“That’s good to hear,” Yuuri said simply, feeling his heart swell. Yuuri was taking this quite seriously as well.

Though he missed Victor greatly, the longing he felt did have a certain sweetness to it, something that made him feel fonder of Victor than he could remember ever feeling before. Two nights without the warmth of Victor’s skin against his, and Yuuri was already painfully aware of just how much he missed it. 

People often said distance made the heart grow fonder. Yuuri found it to be painfully true. When the opening gala was winding up, Yuuri found himself impatiently tugging on the handsome suit the two of them had purchased together. There was no point in going down this early, and yet Yuuri was so anxious, pacing up and down the halls, that Phichit took one look at him and promised to help him sneak down. 

The two of them picked their way into the entrance hall. Staff were buzzing about, frantically trying to get the great hall into shape for the celebrations. Nobody paid Yuuri and Phichit any mind as they slipped past. They didn’t even make it as far as the alpha wing before Yuuri froze in place, finding a pair of brilliantly blue eyes to meet his gaze. 

“Victor,” Yuuri whispered. 

“Yuuri,” Victor echoed back, looking just as desperate as Yuuri felt. Yuuri ran forward, leaping into Victor’s arms. Victor spun him in the air. Yuuri could feel his pulse race faster, a giddiness bubbling up in his chest. “And you even wore the new tie!”

“I had to protect the other one,” Yuuri said with a soft laugh. “If I’m not careful, you might burn it.”

“I’ll never understand your fondness for that thing,” Victor said, but there was only warmth in his tone, a gentle teasing as he held Yuuri close to him. Their faces were only a scant inch apart, as if they couldn’t bear to be any further. “I missed you.”

He pressed a kiss to Victor’s lips. “I know. I missed you, too. So much I almost couldn’t take it, I just couldn’t bear to wait any longer.”

“I couldn’t either,” Victor laughed. Of course not. They had almost met in the middle. They’d both been ready to sneak away into the night. “We’re such fools.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know we have to talk to sponsors tonight, but save a dance for me, okay?”

“I promise,” Victor assured him. They could hear Celestino’s voice giving orders to the staff, and the three of them ducked into an alcove out of sight. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye, Victor,” Yuuri breathed. They parted with one last kiss, before hurrying back to the safety of the lounge.

The gala itself was a lovely, if predictable affair. Yuuri was torn away from Victor time and time again by sponsors and wealthy fans who’d bought their way into the party. Sometimes their eyes would meet across the room, and Victor would try to thread his way over, only to be intercepted by someone else. When Yuuri tried, he got the same results. 

Time and time again, they were separated by someone interfering. Even Celestino seemed to unwittingly play into the cosmic comedy of errors, when Yuuri had let slip how much he admired Celestino’s work on the castle refurbishment. He was afraid that Celestino would go on all night, until Victor appeared at his elbow with a pair of champagne glasses and a smile.

“Sorry if I interrupt, I was hoping I might be able to steal Yuuri away?” 

Celestino laughed and clapped them both on the shoulders. “Of course, go right ahead. I’m just as excited as everyone else is to see who wins this little cat and mouse game between the two of you. Good luck, Yuuri, Victor.” 

At last, their fingers laced together. Victor handed over the thin-stemmed glassware, and Yuuri took a small sip, not pulling his free hand away from Victor’s for even a moment. They swayed to the beat, not fully dancing, but something that could almost be passing for anyone else. 

“I’m going to win tomorrow,” Yuuri said, smiling. 

Victor’s lips curled at the corners. “Oh, is that so? And what if I catch you on the open moors?”

“I seem to recall being able to outrun you, as long as I’ve got enough distance,” Yuuri replied. Confidence bubbled inside him, not an impulsive bravado this time, but genuine confidence in his abilities. In a flat sprint between them, the winner always came down to distance. If Victor could close the gap with his superior speed, Yuuri didn’t stand a chance. If Yuuri could stay away long enough to outlast Victor’s stamina, then he was in the clear. It was as simple as that.

How many dozens of sprints had they run over the last few months, for Yuuri to feel so comfortable in that knowledge? It didn’t feel entirely real, even now, even with Victor back in his arms once again. Yuuri finished off his glass of champagne and placed the glass on a passing staff member’s tray.

Victor copied him, quick to sweep Yuuri more fully into his grasp and draw them out onto the dance floor. “Well, we’ll just have to see how it plays out, won’t we?” Victor purred. Though the gala was drawing near to a close, Yuuri closed his eyes and let himself be carried away by the music. 

The sponsors, the fans, the competitors, they all faded away until there was only Victor and Yuuri left in the world. Now that Yuuri had Victor in his arms, everything just felt so complete, so right. Their instincts knew better than them, simmering low in their blood as they danced.

There was only the hunt remaining now. 

* * *

The fanfare was not quite the usual celebratory beginning to the race, with a distinctly Scottish flair to it that was unmistakable. Yuuri stretched himself slowly enough to feel the sweet ache of his fingers. 

Their costumes had been designed by the same woman who had sold the land to Celestino. While they weren’t overtly Scottish in their design, at least not any more than the usual hunt outfits were, they did have lovely tartan accents to them, enough to attractively offset the simple tunics that so many of the hunts favored. 

Isle of Skye tartan was a mix of brown, green, and a vivid streak of purple that looked as ethereal as the misty isle that gave it its name. Yuuri couldn’t remember the name of the costumer who had explained the significance of the pattern to him, but he could at least appreciate the pop of color that it gave to the outfit. 

The roaring of the crowd was audible even from within the castle. As Yuuri and the other omegas stepped out into the sun, they were able to see that several of the castle structures dotting the field were actually viewing towers, and more spectators were crowded into the battlements and balconies of the main castle itself. 

Behind the castle, a small moat had been dug out, and a drawbridge was raised up, blocking their path. 

Yuuri closed his eyes, breathing in the heady smell of the windswept grass and moors. The scent of alpha was almost entirely lost under the heady, slightly cinnamon-like aroma of the blooming heather. His senses felt the push-pull of the energy around him. The smell of feverish, excited omega was almost more than he could bear. He wanted to flee, wanted to leave his fellow omegas in his dust. His heart was racing fast. 

There was a grinding sound, followed by a low, metallic rattle. The drawbridge shuddered as it slowly lowered to let them cross. When it was halfway, the vibration kicked on between his legs, the tracker egg toy inside him beginning to hum with an almost vicious level of intensity. The drawbridge settled on the ground with a low thud. 

Like a shot, many of the omegas took off, fanning out as they took to the gently sloping fields. Yuuri had spent many hours looking down upon the open moors, mapping it in his mind. He could almost see the rise and fall of the hills, the jagged spines of rock. 

Victor tried to mix things up when they practiced, always trying to keep Yuuri guessing at every turn. But consciously or not, Victor tended to favor higher ground. Size and speed gave Victor the edge when he was careening down the slope of a hill. If he didn’t go up, Yuuri would be shocked. He would have to keep his eyes and his nose alike alert for any signs of alphas drawing near. 

His whole body felt entirely attuned to Victor’s scent, where it whispered underneath the heather and lurked, almost imperceptible. Yuuri could feel all of his senses rush, his mind clouding in a haze of lust. But even in the chaos of his own senses, Yuuri’s plan remained. 

He kept to an unconventional sloping path, steeper than most would try to navigate. The cliffs were short and easy enough to climb up, but they’d be impossible to sprint down. Victor wouldn’t have planned to keep watch along the ridges, knowing his advantage would evaporate if he tried. Yuuri scrambled up until he reached the top of the crested rock. 

From here, Yuuri had a wider view of the course than before. He could see his fellow omegas sprinting for the flag in the distance, alphas bearing down behind. Shapes lurked here and there, little more than shadows, some of them, too suspicious to dismiss. It was impossible to find Victor, even with the shiny, silvery hair that would make him stand out. 

The intense buzzing of the vibrator inside him left his senses on edge. The heat inside him rolled to a full boil. It pooled there, molten and bubbling in the pit of his stomach, making him squirm in anticipation. 

In the distance, the flag slowly waved. The next wave of lust drove him forward. The way was clear, and from the top of the sweeping ridge, Yuuri could see down either side for almost a mile before the land swooped back up once more. 

The swell would take him almost a quarter of the way to the finish, before he’d have to hop down and make a break for the next one. On a course like this, visibility would make or break a hunt. From the dark clouds gathering overhead, a storm could come in at any minute. Their clothes were lined with locally harvested wool, so the competitors would stay warm even if they got a bit wet, but the drop in visibility would make things harder than Yuuri would like. 

The soft whisper of wind sent chills down his back. He could still remember the icy mud slicked up and down his body, the seizing pain of his broken ankle, the agony of disqualification-

He shook his head hard, banishing the thought. Though he could taste the gathering storm on the wind, this wasn’t Sochi, and he wasn’t the same Yuuri as he was on that day. 

A figure moved in the corner of his eye. It was an alpha whose name he didn’t remember, the dark shape of his body cutting a swath through the blooming heather. Yuuri sped up enough to stay ahead. Going up the hill slowed the alpha down enough for Yuuri to keep a lead on him, laughing as he ran free. Others stalked the open fields, but no one could get close. 

Yuuri took the downward sloping hill at a gentle jog, keeping his pace slow enough to maintain for as long as he needed to. He rose over the next hill and stopped in his tracks. He could pick up on Victor’s scent now. His eyes roamed over the landscape, watching course for any sign of movement. 

Victor was upwind again. Yuuri was certain about that. The pheromones on the air were fresher, coming straight from the source instead of being left as a faint, hard to discern scent trail. There had to be a sign of him somewhere. 

Yuuri gathered a few flowers as he jogged, stripping the petals and giving them a toss to see the direction of the wind. Yuuri just needed to look toward the wind, and…  _ There. _

Yuuri could just make out a hint of a silver head beside a mass of grey stone. Victor was only about a hundred meters away, lurking straight to Yuuri’s left and half hidden behind a large rock. He was facing the wrong direction. 

Yuuri had the advantage of surprise and the wind. He crept forward, careful of the sound of his footfalls. He kept half his attention on Victor, some on the slope of the hill in front of him, and some toward the opposite direction.

To his right, he could see a few alphas prowling around, but they were too far away to make threats of themselves just yet. 

The wind shifted. The sky was growing darker overhead. Yuuri felt the wind switch, gusting hard in the opposite direction. His breath caught in his throat and he turned to look at where Victor was standing. But Victor was gone. 

Yuuri looked quickly over the area between them, frantically trying to spot Victor. He didn’t wait— he was already running as fast as he could. From the corner of his eye, he could finally see Victor once more, appearing from behind another ridge and sprinting at full tilt. Yuuri could feel the rush in his blood. 

Victor must have tasted Yuuri on the wind, when it caught his scent. Sneaking away wasn’t an option anymore. It seemed this would be a sprint to the finish, then. 

Sucking down a breath, Yuuri lowered his head and ran. Air burned in his lungs, but there wasn’t time to slow down. Even a single misstep would mean defeat. Yuuri was lighter than air. It was only the two of them, the entire universe narrowed down to this one moment in time, just the two of them. 

Every inch of his body was acutely aware of Victor at his heels. The slope didn’t faze Victor enough. He was still charging forward, though his stamina had to be running lower and lower with every passing minute. Eventually he would have to stop, and that was when Yuuri would pull away to victory. He laughed, delighted. 

They were halfway to the end now, and Yuuri would only have the advantage from here on out. His alpha would pursue him to the ends of the earth, wouldn’t he? Time to see how far they would go. 

The air was suddenly knocked from his lungs. He wheezed, the roar of blood pounding in his ears as his body rolled several meters down the hill. Someone was holding him to the ground and it wasn’t Victor. 

Every vein in Yuuri’s body  _ screamed  _ in fury. He hissed, kicking out and knocking the alpha off him. The world was hazy, and he was running on pure instinct alone. The scent was familiar but  _ wrong,  _ so wrong. His eyes slowly focused. 

Chris was breathing hard, eyes hazed over with lust. He moved to grab Yuuri again, lashing out harder and faster than before. He pressed Yuuri’s wrists down into the earth. Yuuri let out an animal snarl, kicking again, this time driving his knee hard into Chris’s stomach. Chris wheezed, but pressed down harder, no more able fight his instincts than he was able to stop his own heart. 

They fumbled in the dirt, Chris trying and failing to get Yuuri held down enough for him to get between Yuuri’s legs. Every shift between them gave Yuuri another inch to nearly break free. It was a stalemate, save for the vicious fury pounding in Yuuri’s chest. It wasn’t going to end like this. No matter what, he was going to break free. 

That was when Yuuri heard a roar. It was fury incarnate, a feral, furious bellow of “Mine!” at a timbre Yuuri had never heard before. Chris paused, and there was the faintest ripple of clarity between them both. The wind carried with it the sweetest breath of alpha, musky and heavy and flooding Yuuri’s senses. It was something he had never smelled before, but his body knew what it meant more intimately than his mind ever could. Yuuri drowned in it, the scent hitting him hard and fast.

His mate was here, his darling mate was so close. He could feel his body gush slick, his mind already spiraling in overwhelming, insufferable satisfaction. Yuuri shoved Chris off him, and Victor joined the fray with a slam of his body right into Chris’s. “Mine,” Victor growled again, lower and more intense. 

“Back off,” Chris warned. The silky, sultry tone of his voice was gone, stripped bare and left with only lust and hunger. 

Yuuri rolled free of the tangle of bodies. It was time to run while he had the chance. He was barely on his feet when he stopped dead. Victor had Chris pinned down hard to the ground, looking ready to kill. The scent pouring out of him in waves wasn’t just the usual possessive alpha scent. There was something territorial about it. Something… almost claiming. 

The scent was unmistakable. Victor was putting off pheromones only mated couples should have been able to, something to drive away interlopers from nests and offspring and mates. Yuuri’s blood ran cold as he realized what was happening. The scent was not an idle threat. 

Victor was going to kill Chris. 

He and Victor hadn’t mated. They weren’t bonded, and they weren’t even officially a couple yet. The sex was amazing and the companionship even better, but things had never been ironed out. But that wouldn’t matter in the least in the middle of a rut blown haze. As far as Victor would be able to tell, there was only him, his omega, and the threat trying to stand between them. 

The thought had barely crossed Yuuri’s mind when he saw Victor look at him. Yuuri’s scent must have been pouring out thick waves, not of arousal, but of genuine fear. Chris was frozen on the ground, breathing hard, his neck bared in submission. 

He was shaking hard. Chris looked painfully aware of just how close to death he was, watching as Victor held him, motionless, still baring his teeth. 

The split second seemed to drag on longer than seemed possible, with this standoff between the three of them stretching out. It wasn’t even a full breath, less than a beat of his heart. Victor shoved off of Chris, leaving him behind and leaping toward Yuuri. 

The murder was gone, and instead, there was a fierce sense of desire. Yuuri ran, only to be bowled back onto the ground. Victor was almost brutal in the way he scented Yuuri, running his wrists and neck against whatever he could reach until Yuuri was blanketed in his scent. 

Yuuri wanted to run. Every inch of his mind screamed to leave before it was too late. His body wouldn’t listen. More slick gushed out from between his thighs, filling the air with the sweet scent of Yuuri’s arousal. Victor purred low in his chest. 

Yuuri was too confused to make sense of it, barely able to hold back the gasps of confusion and desire. If Victor thought they were mated and that Chris was infringing, he would have seriously hurt Chris, their friendship be damned. If Victor didn’t think they were mated, why was he so thoroughly trying to soothe Yuuri’s racing heart? Why did he kiss and squeeze so tightly that Yuuri couldn’t escape if he tried? 

Yuuri whined low in his chest, confused. Victor rumbled again, and Chris scuttled backward, putting another body length between him and Victor. Like a dog that lost a fight, Chris shook his head, taking another scuttle back. He must have broken from his rut by a fraction, because he muttered, “Sorry, friend,” as he sprinted off. He offered Victor a small salute. 

Victor seemed satisfied to see Chris retreating, curling closer in around Yuuri. But this wasn’t finished yet. Yuuri fought crushing desire, beating it back enough to thrash. He kicked free. It was enough to knock away those clinging hands, and he was on his feet in a second, already running. 

His breath came hard and fast, his mind whirling. He didn’t understand. None of this made sense. Victor acted like they were mated, and yet he didn’t. Yuuri shook his head. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by this. As long as Chris was in one piece, surely it was okay. 

Whatever it was that had happened, Victor looked renewed. His eyes were blown wide and hungry as he ran. Their close call had revitalized him more than Yuuri could have accounted for. It was all Yuuri could do to stay inches away from Victor’s reach. 

He could almost feel Victor’s breath hot on his neck. But instead of feeling fear, instead of panic, Yuuri was spiking with pure thrill. Alpha. His alpha, his mate-

Not his mate. But his alpha nonetheless, pursuing him at the expense of the other omegas. And deep down, Yuuri could feel himself preen in smug satisfaction. Victor sought out _ him.  _ More than any other omega on the course, Victor was searching for him, was willing to fight against any rivals to reach the warmth of Yuuri’s body. 

There were ruins nearby that caught Yuuri’s eye. The structure was looming at the edge of the slope. The frame of buildings looked sturdy enough, but more than that, there were enough handholds and shape to give Yuuri room to parkour himself around, hopefully evading Victor’s reach.

He darted toward it, leaping for the nearest ledge. Victor was so painfully close. Victor’s height was a slight point of advantage, but Yuuri was nimble and the better climber of the two. He hauled himself onto the ledge, finding himself on a narrow catwalk that led to the remains of what might have been some kind of outpost structure. Yuuri flung himself inside.

The open windows led down to the grassy hill below. Yuuri clung to the edge by his fingertips and lowered himself down. He huffed as he hit the ground harder than expected, kicking off from the wall and launching himself forward. It had bought him a scant couple of meters, enough for him to widen the distance between them if only a little. Every centimeter counted in a race like theirs. 

He dodged the steeper side of the hill, his mind racing. Gamble though it was, taking the slightly longer path, falling would be an even worse impediment to winning. Victor had no such reservations, cutting straight down the steep slope. He stumbled only once. He caught himself, to Yuuri’s chagrin, laughing as he cut the gap between them down by half. 

“Yuuri!” Victor sang, half out of breath. “My sweet, my darling omega, come to me!”

Victor was too close for comfort, and he wasn’t slowing down. Why was he not tired yet? He should have been on his last legs-

“Yuuri!” Victor said in delight. Their bodies collided, tumbling in the heather. Yuuri was exhausted. He’d been running for what felt like hours and Victor barely looked touched by the wind. The feral brightness of Victor’s eyes was impossible to ignore, as well. 

Victor held him down like it was nothing. His body straddled Yuuri’s, chest flush to Yuuri’s spine, holding Yuuri firmly in place with a loop of his arm around Yuuri’s collarbone. Even with the rough handling, Victor was affectionate to the end, pressing a swift kiss against the back of Yuuri’s neck as he yanked the vibrator egg free. Slick spilled out behind it. Yuuri moaned. His body clamped down on nothing, too open to resist as Victor lined himself right up. 

He expected to feel disappointment, but there was only glee. “Victor,” he panted. His eyes fluttered. His voice pitched up higher, hands clawing at the arms holding him down. Was he trying to escape, or trying to hold Victor tighter? Even Yuuri himself didn’t know. “Alpha. Alpha, please, Victor,  _ Victor!” _

He gasped sharply as Victor’s cock pressed inside, the way slick and open and desperately trying to suck every inch in deeper. Victor echoed Yuuri’s name, over and over again like a song, stuffing his cock inside Yuuri’s body with a greedy ferocity. He fed more and more into Yuuri’s body, heedless of Yuuri’s breathy gasps and moans. “Yuuri, Yuuri,  _ mine,  _ my darling, my sweet, my Yuuri… mine and mine alone...”

Yuuri’s nails left furrows in the peat beneath them. He sucked in heavy breaths. His knees gave out beneath him, held up only by the grip Victor had on his hip and the steady bounce of Victor’s cock thrusting inside him. His whole body rocked with each motion, choking out moans and gasping for air. 

He growled softly, desperate to prove himself. He broke free once more, using the slam of Victor’s hips to help push him forward. He. barely squirmed out of Victor’s grip, scrabbling forward over the ground. Victor pounced once more, turning Yuuri onto his back to make it harder for him to break away. Yuuri pushed against his chest, exhausted.

Victor smelled so good. Yuuri could feel his own token resistance fading. His alpha had caught him. Yuuri was right where he wanted to be, right? Was there something else he was supposed to be thinking about? Victor grabbed Yuuri’s thighs and spread them wide, slotting his hips between them. 

The cock pushed back in without much resistance. Yuuri was wet and open and aching to be filled. He cried out as Victor sank all the way in, unable to stop himself from wrapping his legs around Victor’s hips to hold him close. 

The thrusts came faster than before, harder. Victor’s expression was absolutely  _ wrecked  _ under the onslaught of scent and desire and outright hunger for Yuuri. It was too much. Yuuri was burning with heat, and Victor was ice and winter and mint, soothing against the rough edges of Yuuri’s senses. He sobbed as he felt himself cum hard enough to make his vision go dark, until the only thing he could feel was Victor inside him, overstimulating beyond belief. 

And through that rush, Yuuri could feel Victor’s knot tugging at his rim. His voice pitched up higher. His gasps broke as Victor’s cock caught against the tight ring of muscle, locking their bodies together with a sudden flood of seed. Teeth sank into his neck, right over his mating gland.

Yuuri screamed, sobbing from pleasure. Thick ropes of cum flooded his battered guts. Victor dragged the flat of his tongue over the bite, soothing it with a kiss. Yuuri could only cling weakly to Victor, shaking from the overwhelmed rush he felt. His stomach was already pleasantly full of Victor’s spend, and over the next few minutes, there would only be more. 

With the utmost care, Victor held Yuuri’s hips in place as he shifted, finding a comfortable place to lie together while they were tied. Comfortable and snuggled together on the grass, Victor preened. He rubbed his scent anywhere he could reach, smugly satisfied with his efforts in marking Yuuri up. 

Yuuri took a long, slow breath. He could feel the haze fading by degrees now. The stinging pain in his neck was the hardest to ignore. 

Even though biting was generally discouraged, omegas were always given synthetics that prevented bonds from forming during a hunt. It was a precaution Yuuri had never begrudged before. But a small part of him wished that Victor’s bite would take regardless, that on some level, their bodies would overcome the synthetic bond blockers and leave them connected. Yuuri smiled to himself. 

Selfish though the thought was, it was nice to pretend. He stroked Victor’s hair, waiting for the knot to decline enough for them to move. His stomach was starting to cramp from how bloated with cum he was. 

“Stay with me,” Victor murmured. 

Yuuri held Victor close, nodding. “I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.”

Victor shook his head, his eyes opening. They were clearer at last, though still a little unfocused. His gaze landed on the bite on Yuuri’s neck. “Not just now. I… I’m sorry for acting so rashly earlier. I just… I can’t imagine life without you by my side anymore. Hunting with you, being by your side in the quiet mornings and crazy afternoons…”

“I don’t want to give that up,” Yuuri whispered, like a confession. He buried his face in Victor’s neck, scenting Victor back with a certain urgency. “I… I love that too. So much.”

Victor reached under his shirt for a long chain he wore around his neck. Hanging from the thin silver chain was a pair of slim, golden rings. “I’m serious about this, Yuuri, more than I’ve been about anything, ever. Would you stay with me forever?” Victor whispered, sounding so afraid of rejection that Yuuri’s heart almost broke. 

So that was why Victor had been so adamant about protecting Yuuri from Chris. Deep down, even in the lowest pits of Victor’s animal brain, he held the ring close to his heart. 

Yuuri let out a broken little sound, somewhere between a gasp and a wail. “Victor…” He crushed Victor harder in his arms, feeling the knot tug at his entrance again. He bit his lip and held back a long, drawn out moan as he came again on Victor’s cock. “Yes, yes, yes yes!” Yuuri sobbed as he spilled. 

Victor groaned, tears shining in his eyes as his cock twitched, spilling another rush of his release inside. He held Yuuri so tightly that Yuuri almost couldn’t breathe. It was perfect. “Mark me again… when we get out,” Yuuri panted. Victor licked a hot stripe over Yuuri’s neck, right where the dull ache of his teeth throbbed. 

“Yes,” Victor said through shaky breaths. “Yes, yes, absolutely, I will.” Victor groaned as his control slipped, and he rolled his hips hard enough to make the knot ache with a delicious wave of pleasure-pain. “Yuuri…”

“Victor,” Yuuri echoed. Victor shook his head hard, trying to clear the haze away. He gripped the delicate chain and yanked hard enough to break the links, letting the matching rings slide into his palm. He fit one over Yuuri’s finger, and Yuuri took the other, sliding it on with a kiss to Victor’s palm. “I love you,” Yuuri whispered earnestly. 

Victor rubbed his cheek to Yuuri’s. “I love you, too, my Yuuri, my love.”

* * *

A nearby drone had captured every second of the heartfelt confession, and Yuuri was deathly embarrassed to hear that everyone had seen it.  _ Everyone.  _ Not only had his hometown watched the competition, but the clip was also circulating on countless international news cycles as a feel good fluff piece. 

“Isn’t anything else going on in the world right now?” Yuuri complained. 

Victor laughed. “As if anything would be more important than our engagement,” he teased, while Phichit made kissy faces at them. 

“You two are just precious. I really am sorry again about yesterday,” Chris said, looking properly abashed. He rubbed his forehead. “I even knew about the rings going in, and I tried to stay away, but damn, it’s hard sometimes. But you know how it can be. Sometimes when you get onto the course, you feel like a different person entirely. I’m just glad it all worked out.”

“I honestly thought Victor was going to kill you!” Yuuri said. “I was terrified!”

Victor whined. “Yuuuuuri, I would never hurt a fly, and especially not Chris.”

“I saw that recap,” Phichit said. He crossed his arms, unimpressed. He claimed the arm of the overstuffed chair Chris was sitting in, one leg kicked out to balance. “You had to have at least considered it.”

“I just needed to threaten him a little,” Victor said defensively. He sighed, long and low, hanging his head. 

Yuuri leaned against him, sitting closer on the couch. “Well, I definitely appreciated it on the course. I thought it was very sexy of you to try and defend my honor like that. Even though I totally had it under control.”

“I almost had you!” Chris said, laughing. 

“Not even close,” Phichit and Yuuri said in unison. Phichit alone added, “he had practically slipped away before Victor even got close. Yuuri had you on the ropes.”

Chris let out a wounded groan. “My pride shall never recover. But now I’m dying to know, are you going to continue with the hunt? If you bond, they’re going to frown upon you being in the circuit. Not that I don’t want you,” Chris amended. 

“Worried about us?” Victor teased. “Or worried about your chances of winning? Don’t worry, Yuuri and I discussed it last night after we left the arena. We aren’t going to officially bond until the season ends, just so we can see it through. After that…”

“Well… I have a few ideas…” Yuuri mused, exchanging a small smile with Victor. “I need to do a bit of research first, of course. But luckily, there’s an expert close by who knows everything there is to know about refurbishing and managing a hunting course…”

**Author's Note:**

> Isle of Skye tartan is a real tartan which is considered a ‘Universal Tartan’ aka it has no clan affiliation and is able to be worn by anyone who wants to. 


End file.
